Still on the Clamour for Generational Change

Still on the Clamour for Generational Change

Abubakar muhammad

There is no doubting the fact that one of the major drawbacks to the progress of this nation, is the calibre of people we have as leaders, majority of our so called leaders past and present have exhibited gross deficiency in commitment and patriotism, a situation that has left our nation perpetually backward, but one important angle we often ignore is the old age of our leaders, majority of whom are in their sixties or above, and senility unknown to many is also a disease , it is a period when man forgets easily, gets irritated frequently, commits errors deliberately and is pervaded by the attitude of i know all, the old feels he is only safe when in the midst of his peers, hence the culture of recycling old bloods. on the other hand the young age is an age characterised by sharpness and clarity of thought, focus, and vision, it is a period of decisive decisions based on constructive and sound reasoning, bold and courageous actions, effective ability and willingness to take risks and utilise them for progress, in a nutshell, the youths are always ready and willing to package their energies , enthusiasm, vigour, exuberance and creative ability for the explicit purpose of nation building, little wonder therefore one may not be wrong if he attributes the little success so far recorded in this administration to the young blood in it .

Typical instances where youths have done the nation proud are in the EFCC where Mallam Nuhu ribadu has succeeded in not only instilling morbid fear into the hearts of our leaders, but also has been able to recover a tangible amount of our looted resources, and you may accuse him of selectivity, bias or political scapegoatism, but one thing is certain ribadu has contributed his own quota in making nigeria a better place for us all, another area is in the FCT where Mallam Nasiru El-rufai is also doing wonders, with or without milk of human kindness , this man is doing what nigerians appointed him to do and this he is doing with outmost commitmemt, dedication, and patriotism, we may ofcourse condemn him as wicked, cruel, insensitive, overzealous, but i believe posterity will not only exonerate him, but will surely reward him, there is also the NAFDAC woman, who has introduced a new dimension into the fight against fake and adulterated drugs, and bearing in mind the fact that the major recipients of her wrath are her tribal people, in a nation that is infested with tribalism , sectionalism, and all forms of retrogressive isms, one must surely praise her, equally worthy of commendation is the silent and intelligent way , mallam tanimu yakubu is radically revolutionarising the nations mortgage system, and i believe with an adjustment in the nations salary structure, and some measure of financial discipline on the part of nigerians, we are close to our dream of housing for all, not to forget the charles soludo of the cbn, who has been able to boost the confidence of the investing public, in the nations banking sector, the instances are ofcourse numerous, but for now , i think this will suffice.

The bottom line however is that youths in nigeria are been neglected, they are helpless victims of a cumulative political, economic and moral decay, in a government that has elevated sycophancy and bootlicking to the detriment of credibility and integrity, corruption and squandermania have permeated every corner of our national existence, and today the average nigerian youth is psychologically assaulted from all angles, his reasoning and general approach to life are compromised, he is a victim of unemployment. as the government is gradually but surely privitising the educational sector, the teachers are more out of than inside the classrooms as a result of incessant strikes, basic infrastructures that make learning conducive are delapidated or in some cases extinct. and if at the end of the day he manages to graduate his certificate is not only worthless , but it cannot compete internationally, he is a victim of idleness induced drug abuse and addiction, therefore making him prone to AIDS and other related STI;and since poverty has not only taken its toll on these susceptible groups, but also on their parents , but also on their parents, a situation that has led to the extinction of the well known african culture of parental care and affection as both parents and children are struggling to survive.

What however is certain is that the youths are the future leaders of tommorow, and their aspirations, their states of mind, their deprivations, wants or satisfaction, will play a formidable role in shaping the political destiny of this nation, and until and unless we begin to address these problems by harnessing our abundant natural resources and chanelling them towards youth empowerment, through multiple job creations, , provision of qualitative and cost free education. poverty alleviation that is mass based and seriously minded, aggresive and well articulated campaign for moral rebirth throgh leadership by example, and not mere media hypes only then can we boast of climbing the road to national reconstruction and progress, but anything short of this is an exercise in futility. . Dr Kurfi Abubakar is with the gen. hospital katsina.